Radha's friends keep telling her that she should apply for entry into the Guinness Book for the largest number of titles won in a year - she was awarded 15 titles in 1999. With over 30 titles by several reputed organizations and individuals, she is a stalwart in the Carnatic classical music world. She has been awarded the Gaayana Patu by Bala Murali Krishna, and is the Aasthaana Vidooshi for the Ahobila Muth, for the Vishwapeetham at Guntur and for Vedurupakam near Rajahmundry.
Born in 1947 in a family of musical scholars dedicated to the Vishisthadwaita dharma, Radha had a strong musical foundation right from her childhood. She trained under gurus B V Raman and B V Lakhmanan, 5th generation disciples of Saint Thyagaraja. She trained for 15 years, and has been performing for over 20 years now. Her first concert itself was in a big musical festival at Vijayawada where the other performers were of the stature of Shobha Naidu and the Sikkil sisters. Among the people who have profusely praised her is Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swami, who asked her to sing in his reknowned Dassera festival with its marathon waiting lists populated by stalwarts.
Radha Padmanabhan's classical music concert will stimulate the spirits of music lovers on the 7th of this month. This is a two-hour program with Tyagaraja Keertanas and other compositions.